Taking Names

Spiritual cat<

Steve Beard, a contributing author to “Spiritual Journeys: How Faith Has Influenced Twelve Music Icons” and creator of Thunderstruck.org, notices in an article for National Review Online that retro rocker Brian Setzer is a serious Catholic with an allergy to liberal journalism.

“You’ve got MTV and Howard Stern and shock jocks who make fun of religion,” Mr. Setzer told the Desert Sun, a Palm Springs, Calif., newspaper. “It’s something to be derided, almost, and nobody seems to say anything about it. I’m shocked by that. I’m shocked by the lack of respect for spirituality and religion.”

The ex-Stray Cat continued: “I’m a religious person. I’m a Catholic. But I think any kind of spirituality is good. My chosen spirituality is Catholicism, and I believe in Jesus. Now, if I was to say that in Rolling Stone, it would probably either get edited out or there would be some snide comment about that.”

He blames disgraced televangelists such as Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart, but only in part: “A lot of it is the fault of these people, and a lot of it is the fault of the whole left-wing journalism of Spin magazine or Rolling Stone. It’s not ’cool.’”

To which we say, “Cool.”

Beatle doc sued

The family of late Beatle George Harrison has planted a $10 million lawsuit on Staten Island’s Dr. Gilbert Lederman, who treated him in his last days. The suit accuses the doctor of being a publicity hound and coercive souvenir seeker.

British Broadcasting Corp. reported yesterday that court papers filed in a Brooklyn, N.Y., federal court by Mr. Harrison’s family, which runs his estate, claim that Dr. Lederman “preyed upon Mr. Harrison while he was in a greatly deteriorated mental and physical condition by coercing” him to sign his son’s guitar and autographs for his two daughters.

The lawsuit also says that when Mr. Harrison, who died in November 2001, resisted signing autographs, Dr. Lederman held his hand to help him write. “[H]e absolutely and categorically denies that,” said the doctor’s lawyer, Wayne Roth.

“As recently as a few hours ago, we gave them the opportunity to avoid this proceeding by simply returning the guitar and the autographs,” Harrison lawyer Paul LiCalsi said yesterday in a statement.

“We even offered to give him a replacement guitar, and the doctor refused.”

Defiant Gwyneth

Impending motherhood has Gwyneth Paltrow feeling mighty confident. In the February issue of Vanity Fair, the recently wed actress scoffs at detractors who think flops such as “View From the Top” have bumped her off Hollywood’s A-list.

“Everybody can’t wait for me to fail, because I am supposed to have this perfect life, which is complete nonsense,” she tells the magazine. “And then you feel like the tides are turning, and it’s pick-on-Gwyneth time. I’m just a girl, so that can really get to me.

“I don’t care if I’m not No. 1 or No. 5 or No. 10. I’m really … good at my job, and people who are interesting and good know that, and that’s all that matters.”

Cred for the Rev.

The Rev. Al Green returned to the music scene with a secular album last year, but that hasn’t stopped the Gospel Music Association from inducting the soul titan into its hall of fame.

Mr. Green will join Sandi Patty, the late Vestal Goodman and BMI President Frances Preston next month in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn., according to Associated Press.

“The newest inductees for the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame exemplify the great diversity and history of Christian and gospel music,” GMA President John W. Styll said in a statement. “Their contributions to our culture have had a profound and lasting impact.”

“I first asked my church about singing songs where I throw in words like ’baby’ and ’sugar,’” Mr. Green told Billboard magazine about his hesitant return to nongospel music.

Little friends

If only her “Friends” character Monica had the same luck. Actress Courtney Cox and husband David Arquette are expecting their first child, Reuters News Agency reported.

She and Mr. Arquette had been public about their difficulty in conceiving, a problem mirrored in Miss Cox’s fictional relationship with Matthew Perry’s Chandler on the popular NBC sitcom.

Meanwhile, Associated Press reported yesterday that actress Kate Hudson and singer husband Chris Robinson had a baby boy, 8-pounder Ryder Russell Robinson.

Irish Alexander

Colin Farrell reportedly has producers of the forthcoming Oliver Stone epic “Alexander” worried that the actor’s Irish brogue is too thick to conceal. An insider told the magazine Heat, “He sounds like a Dublin bus driver.”

Compiled by Scott Galupo from staff, wire and Web reports.